The Top 21 Horror Movie Villains, Ranked

Jason Voorhees didn't start out as much of a horror villain; after all, in the initial "Friday the 13th" (released 35 years ago this week, on May 9, 1980), he had to have his mother do all his dirty work. But over the course of countless sequels, the seemingly unkillable, hockey-masked slasher worked hard, paid his dues, and became one of the all-time greats.

What does it take, after all, to be a great horror movie villain? A franchise helps, since you get to rack up the body count, but it should really be about quality, not quantity. Are you scary? Do you haunt the dreams of moviegoers after they leave the theater? Do they yearn for you to return and scare them again? Those ought to be the tests.

With that in mind, here's our ranking of the best horror movie villains. Aspiring ghouls reading this who want to become the next Jason: you've got your work cut out for you.